Messac RETURN via La Gacilly 3-Night Itinerary
Enjoy a short but memorable cruise along the River Vilaine on this 3-night route. Spend time exploring the colourful artisan streets and Yves Rocher Museum in La Gacilly, and soak up the dramatic riverside setting of l’Île-aux-Pies. There’s also time to discover the lively town of Redon before returning to Messac. With more cruising hours than most of our other short breaks, this itinerary is ideal for those who prefer to spend more time on the water and less ashore.
Suggested Itinerary
Arrive at base
3pm
After you have arrived and checked-in, we’ll show you to your boat as quickly as possible. Spend time settling in, freshen up and await your pre-departure briefing which will be given by one of our base technicians. They will familiarise you with the boat’s domestic systems and give you a hands-on demonstration of the boat controls and how to operate it. They will make sure you are comfortable and confident controlling the boat, as well as navigating the waterway, before you set off.
Food for the journey: Just 5-minutes by car from the base, the Super U in Guipry is the most convenient place to stock up before you set off. We recommend buying enough provisions for a few meals on board, as restaurants are limited along the first stretch of the river.
Messac > Beslé-sur-Vilaine
4pm – 7pm
Approx. 3 hrs | 2 locks
Set off toward your first overnight stop at the dock in Beslé-sur-Vilaine, an easy three-hour cruise from the base. Along the way you’ll pass through two locks before arriving in this quiet riverside village.
Please note: If you’re running short on time and won’t make it to Beslé-sur-Vilaine before dark, there are two public moorings along the way. We recommend the mooring in Sainte-Anne-sur-Vilaine (located about an hour and a half from Messac base) as a convenient alternative for your first night.
Dinner on board
7pm – 9pm
Moor up at this sleepy village for a dinner on board your boat. Why not fire up the barbecue if your boat has one (or if you’ve added one to your booking)?
Overnight in Beslé-sur-Vilaine
Breakfast on board
7am – 8am
Beslé-sur-Vilaine > La Gacilly (via Redon)
8am – 1pm
Approx. 5 hrs | 1 lock | 1 lifting bridge
Cruise south toward La Gacilly, passing through a lock and lifting bridge in Redon along the way. Not to worry – you’ll have time to explore Redon tomorrow. Continue your journey through peaceful countryside before arriving in the artistic riverside town of La Gacilly.
Lunch at Restaurant Le Végétarium, La Gacilly
1:15pm – 2:45pm
Begin your Yves Rocher experience in La Gacilly with lunch at Restaurant Le Végétarium. The menu celebrates vibrant vegetarian cuisine, with dishes full of flavour, texture and colour. Freshly prepared desserts and smoothies provide the perfect finishing touch. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Bookings are recommended: Restaurant Le Vegetarium | +33 2 99 08 37 37
Explore La Gacilly
3pm – 5pm
Here, craftsmen, painters, sculptors, glass workers and more, work and display their wares, with colourful exhibitions spilling out onto the streets. La Gacilly is also the headquarters of the famous perfume maker, Yves Rocher, and you can visit the museum to find out more about the founder and the amazing history of the brand.
Yves Rocher offers preferential rates for Emerald Star customers.
La Gacilly > Ile-aux-Pies
5pm – 6:15pm
Approx. 1 hr 15 mins | 0 locks
You’ll spot this public mooring right outside Escapades Verticales.
Dinner on board
7pm – 9pm
With the dramatic cliffs as your backdrop, this evening promises a memorable meal in a quiet and unique setting.
Overnight in Ile-aux-Pies
Ile-aux-Pies > Redon
7:30am – 9am
Approx. 1 hr 30 mins | 1 lock | 1 lifting bridge
Please note: the lock at Redon opens at 9am, so you may need to wait briefly before continuing into town if you arrive slightly early.
Breakfast at Boulangerie Chez Lisa (Le Port), Redon
9:15am – 10am
Start the day with a stop at Boulangerie Chez Lisa, where you can enjoy freshly baked pastries and bread. It’s also the perfect place to pick up a few treats to enjoy later for lunch on board.
Explore Redon
10am – 11am
Take a leisurely walk along the River Vilaine and soak up the charm of Redon’s waterfront. This is also a good moment to pick up a takeaway lunch for later.
Redon > Sainte-Anne-sur-Vilaine
11am – 2:15pm
Approx. 3 hrs 15 mins | 0 locks
Late lunch on board, Sainte-Anne-sur-Vilaine
2:15pm – 3:15pm
Sainte-Anne-sur-Vilaine > Messac
3:15pm – 6pm
Approx. 2hrs 45 mins | 2 locks
You’ll spend your final night moored at the Emerald Star base in Messac, ensuring an easy and stress-free checkout tomorrow morning.
Please note: from mid to late October, locks close at 6pm, so be sure to leave earlier in the afternoon to allow enough time for your return.
Explore Messac
6pm – 7pm
Explore the natural beauty of the region by foot or on bike, along the “voie verte” routes.
Dinner at La Pizzeria l’Escale, Messac
7:30pm – 9:30pm
Just 800 metres from the base, La Pizzeria l’Escale is a convenient choice for your final evening ashore. Enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and a tasty selection of pizzas before returning to your boat. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Bookings are recommended: +33 (0)2 99 34 60 97 | restaurant-pizzeria-lescale-35.fr
Overnight in Messac
Breakfast on board
7:30am – 8:30am
Enjoy your final breakfast on board before tidying and vacating your boat by 9am (unless you have booked and paid for a late-checkout).
Depart Messac
9am
4 or 5 night alternative
With an extra night or two, we recommend spending a full day in both La Gacilly and Île-aux-Pies. In La Gacilly, you’ll have more time to visit the Yves Rocher Museum and the garden (Jardin botanique), while at Île-aux-Pies the activity park offers climbing, canoeing, and a wealth of walking trails in a truly breathtaking riverside setting.
Alternatively, extend your adventure to Malestroit. From here, take a short taxi ride to Josselin, where you can explore the magnificent castle and wander through the streets of this beautiful medieval town. Cruising from Malestroit to Josselin is otherwise around three hours each way, so we recommend a taxi instead.
This itinerary is a suggestion only
This suggested itinerary is an indication of what could be accomplished, and your ability to accomplish it, is not a contractual obligation of Le Boat. Le Boat is unable to guarantee when your pre-departure briefing will take place and in some cases it will not be given until the morning after your arrival. In these instances, you will need to adapt the itinerary outlined to accommodate a later departure. All cruising distances and times are approximations and are subject to local navigation restrictions at the time you cruise, planned or otherwise, which may also require you to deviate from the itinerary shown. Please check advertised opening times of sights, attractions and restaurants to avoid disappointment – some may need to be booked in advance. All meals, entry fees and tour tariffs are payable at your own expense. Attractions, restaurants and even locks and/or stretches of the waterway may be closed or can close without notice.
We’d love to hear from you
We’ve tried our very best to ensure the accuracy of the information we’ve provided. If you have followed all or some of this itinerary and have found something isn’t quite right, or perhaps you have some helpful tips and pointers that we could add which might be useful to your fellow boaters, we’d love to hear from you. Please email us at: itineraries@leboat.com
Image Credits
Ile aux Pies: Lamoureux Alexandre | Josselin Aerial & La Gacilly with flags: Loic Kersuzan | Josselin Castle: Marc Schaffner | Place du Bouffay, Malesroit: Berthier Emmanuel | Redon Riverfront * Redon Aerial: Poriel Thibald | Redon at night: A.Lamourex | River Aff, La Gacilly: Hadonos, CC BY-SA 3.0<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons